Elevator



Jan. 16, 1934. w E, A I 1,943,761

ELEVATOR Filed March l1 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1934.

w. E. HASTINGS ,943,761 ELEVATOR Filed March 11, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1934. w. E. HASTINGS 1,943,761

ELEVATOR Filed March 1930 5 SheetsSheet s t 95 352 2 6 Fig Z '7 36 WITNESSES g 47597 5 7' BYM Z ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1934. w HASTmGS 1,943,761

' ELEVATOR Filed March 11, 1930 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR MHZ,

ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1934. w. E. HASTINGS 1,943,761

ELEVATOR Filed March 11, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WITNESSES i lflzfifli'ings,

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Patented Jan. 16, 1934 urrs STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in elevators and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

One of the foremost objects of the invention is to provide an elevator which is made in sections that can be coupled in a variety of ways thus to adapt the elevator to the various locations of stalls in a building or garage especially designed for the combined use therewith of this elevator, into which stalls it is proposed to move automobiles or other vehicles carried by the elevator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevator equipped with movable conveyors by the use of which an automobile hoisted by the elevator can be propelled off and into a stall arranged to receive it.

A further object of the invention is to make an elevator in a plurality of sections, each being equipped with a set of movable conveyors, there being provision for coupling pairs of the sections so that an automobile may be elevated in any one of a number of lateral positions, both the position of an automobile and the selection of sections to be coupled depending on the location of the stall into which it is desired to move the automobile.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel suspension for the elevator, this including means by which the suspension cables can be fitted to any selected plurality of elevator sections so that the hoisting pull may be directly over those sections and not diverted to one side.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, illustrating the general arrangement of the improved elevator.

Figure 2 is a detail section of the main bearing of the wheel which forms part of the elevator suspension.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the sectional elevator and the movable conveyors of the sections as well as the relationship of the elevator to a specially constructed garage.

Figure 4 is a plan View, partially in section, of a modification showing the elevator in one piece but adopting the same arrangement of movable conveyors for a garage of the preceding design.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the clutch and motor controls of one of the elevator sections, the cover being shown in section.

Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the elevator sections showing the movable conveyors in more detail.

Figure 7 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 7-'7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross section at right angles to Figure 7, taken on the line 88 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a detail view of one of the drag winches of which several are carried by each elevator section, the view being taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the elevator suspension, also illustrating the elevator in its regular position therebeneath.

Figure 11 is a diagram of the electrical wiring.

Figure 12 is a diagram somewhat on the orders of Figures 3 and 4, illustrating a fractional elevator which is adapted to distribute automobiles in only two directions rather than in four directions.

Figure 13 is a detail plan view of the coupling means by which the sections are joined.

Figure 14 is a detail view of one of the automobile stops, parts of the platform being shown in section.

Figure 15 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the wheel of the shaft particularly showing one of the supporting rollers.

Figure 16 is a detail sectional view illustrating the quadruplex guide rail.

The elevator herein disclosed is directly concerned with the problem of conveniently and speedily parking automobiles in a garage especially designed for the purpose. Although the description is devoted to this particular use, it is intended that the elevator shall be adaptable to other uses because it is capable of being employed in any connection where it is a consideration to store objects in vertical series of stalls arranged in various lateral directions.

It will presently be understood that the elevator is intended to replace ramps such as are now popularly used in connection with public garages, it being a premise inseparable with the principle of the invention that an automobile can be parked in a stall twenty-five stories above street level in an equal and perhaps smaller period of time than would be required in parking the same vehicle on the first or second floor of the average garage of the type mentioned.

With the general purpose in mind attention is directed to the drawings so that the principles can be understood. The elevator, generally designated 1, (Figure 3, 4 and 12), is capable of being made in a variety of ways as these views indicate. In Figure 3 it is composed of four sections 2, 3.

ment 61 which is engageable by a slidable and splined clutch 62 that is movable by a short lever 63. A cable 64 is wound on the winch, one end being secured thereto and the other end having a hook 65 adapted to be attached to some convenient part of the automobile.

For the purpose of preventing the automobile from rolling 011 of the elevator during vertical transportation the platform 28 is equipped with stops 66 (Fig. 14). Each of these is hinged at 6'7 so that it can be raised or lowered in respect to an opening 68 in which it fits in the platform. A chain 69 limits the opening movement of the stop. When needed no longer the stop can simply be kicked over whereupon it will lie flush with the top surface of the platform.

The suspension of the elevator and the means by which it is applied toany coupled pair of the sections (Fig. 3) is as follows: Situated on the nether part of an appropriate framework 70 at the top of the elevator shaft 71 (Fig. 1) is a large wheel 72 that is revolubly supported by a central thrust bearing '73 (Fig. 2). It has additional peripheral supports (Fig. 15) which com prise rollers '74, or preferred equivalents, on which the nether rim of the wheel bears.

A. heavy sheave 75 (Fig. 1) is swivelly suspended from an eye '76 on the Wheel '72. A hoisting cable 7'7, trained through this sheave and over guides 78 terminates at one end in a hanger arrangement 79 within the elevator shaft, and at the other end in a hoisting drum 80 at the bottom of the shaft.

The drum is driven by a motor 81 that is controlled from the elevator by a reversing switch 82. This switch is also housed under the cover 57 (Fig. 5). Upon throwing the switch 82 in one position the elevator will be raised, and upon throwing it in the other position the elevator will be lowered.

pair of elevator sections, for which purpose the sections would first have to be let down into resting positions upon beams 85 at the bottom of the shaft (Fig. 1) so that the harness can be unhooked and re-applied to the selected couple.

A motor 86 has a drive connection with the wheel 72 through the medium of a counter shaft 87 (Fig. 1) to the opposite ends of which a chain 88 and gear shaft 89 are applied by means of a requisite sprocket and bevelled gearing. The lower end of the shaft 89 carries a spur gear 90 which meshes with the gear periphery 91 of the wheel '72 (Fig. 10).

This gear periphery may extend completely around the circumference of the wheel or only half-way around depending on whether it is proposed to employ but a single hoisting cable '77 for all of the connectible elevator sections or couples. In the instance of the complete gear periphery the wheel 72 would be rotated in quarter turns to center the sheave 75 over any connected pair of elevator sections.

For example, Figure 10 shows the sheave '75 centered over the sections 2, 4, it being presumed that these are the connected pair. Should the sections 2, 3 be connected, the wheel would be I given a quarter turn in the clockwise direction to center the sheave over that pair. Or should it be desired to elevate the sections 3, 5 the wheel would be given a half turn in the clockwise direction to appropriately center the sheave 75.

Under the foregoing condition only one selected pair of elevator sections can be operated at a time. It is possible to operate two pairs separately. This would require a duplication of the cable 7"! as well as the hoisting drum 80 on the other side of the shaft. For this purpose the wheel 72 is equipped with an extra eye 92 (Fig. 2) from which a duplicate sheave 75 would be swivelly suspended. Only a half gear periphery 91 would be necessary since fractional turns in either direction would center the two sheaves over the separately coupled and independently operable elevator units.

A reversing switch 93, preferably located somewhere near the bottom of the elevator shaft controls the circuit of the motor 86 so that the motor may be operated in either direction to appropriately turn the wheel '72 may be required. Abpropriate rails 94 (Fig. 6) are provided to guide the elevator sections regardless of the unit formation in which they might be coupled. While the arrangement of the guide rails will be subject to some variation yet the illustration in Figure 3 shows a fair distribution.

Here single guide rails 94; are situated at the four corners of the elevator shaft '71 while a QuadrupleX guide rail 95 (Fig. 16) is shown in the center of the shaft. It follows that any elongated unit of connected sections will have adequate guidance at three points.

The electrical wiring is diagrammatically illus-- trated in. Figure 11. Since the motors 26, sin le point switches 58 and reversing switches 82 a e all alike in respect to each of the four sect ons they are given the common and corresponding designations indicated. The motors 26 and switches 58 are connected in parallel couples by means of wires 96. 9'7 and cs, 99 which in turn are connected in parallel with feeders 100. 101 from busses 102. 103. These features also constitute the positive and negative current source". for the reversing switches 82 which are connected in parallel by means of wires 104, 105 and 106. 107. The various wires are connected re the feeders 100. 101 as plainly indicated.

The elevator motor 81 is connected with each of the reversing switches 82 by wires 108. 109 which connect either directly to corresponding contacts of certain reversing switches or have branches leading thereto so that all corresponding contacts are connected with appropriate sides of the lines. The busses 102. 103 are therefore the source of current for all of the mo ors. it being observed that two terminals of the reversing switch 93, identified with the motor 86, are also connected with these busses.

The operation is readily understood. All forms of the invention are adapted to the allocation of automobiles in a garage with wings provided with stalls to receive them. Consider the arrangement in Figure 3. The sections 2, 3 had been coupled through the medium of the coupling means (Fig. 13) to receive the automobile A. They were hoisted to the desired story of the garage or building 11 by turning the wheel '72 (Fig. 10) 90 degrees in the clockwise direction from the position there shown.

This brought the sheave 75 directly over the coupled sections 2, 3. The hooks 83 of the harness '79 were fitted in the eye bolts 84 so as to support the sections. The automobile A was dragged on to the coupled sections 2, 3 by setting the alined movable conveyors 9 of both sections in motion and clutching in an appropriate one of the drag winches (Figs. 6 and 9) so as to start the automobile on to the now moving con veyors 9 after having connected the hook of the cable 64 to a convenient part of the vehicle.

Having gotten the automobile on to the elongated unit 2, 3, the wheels will stand on the remote conveyors 9. The clutches 44 (Fig. 7) of each section 2, 3, previously engaged with the elements 42 by means of the levers 51 (Fig. 6) are now restored to the neutral position (Fig. 7) so that the conveyors 9 stand still while the automobile is being elevated. Appropriate stops 66 are raised to prevent the automobile from rolling off.

The circuit 108, 109 ll) of the motor 81 (Fig. 1) is closed by throwing the reversing switch 82 of either section 2, 3 in the proper direction to raise the elevator. Having reached the desired level the operator will unhook the automobile from the winch 60, start the motors 26 of the sections 2, 3 by closing the switches 58 and move the levers 51 so as to re-engage the clutches a l with the elevators 42. However, it is necessary to move the levers 50 to reverse the former main shaft 4.1, thus causing the conveyors 9 to propel t1 e automobile oil of the elevator and into the position w eh it is shown as occupying in one of the stalls 17 (Fig. 3).

In the instance of the single piece elevator in Figure 4 the operator has only to control the desired sets of conveyors 9, 10 in order to move the automobile on or oil of the platform. There is no need for the specific suspension means of Figures l and 10, the ordinary elevator hoisting mechanism being sufficient to serve the purpose.

This is also true of the arrangement in Figure '2, but as previously pointed out the elevator 1 i confined to a single elongated unit which one might consider as the permanent assemblage or connection of a pair, for example 2, 3 of the section in Figure 3. Qnly single sets of conveyors 9 will be used since the requirement is to move the automobile either east or west into the opposite wings 18, 19. These constitute single stalls.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved elevator is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim i. In an elevator, a plurality of floor sections, an elevator shaft and means for guiding said sectio therein, and means for coupling selected sections to constitute a unit variously allocated in said shaft.

An elevator comprising a plurality of floor sections. an elevator shaft and means for guiding said sections ther in, means for coupling selected sections to constitute a unit variously allocated in said shaft, suspension means common to any unit, and a carrier for the suspension means being shiftable with respect to the shaft in accordance with the selection of the sections thus to be centered over the unit.

3. An elevator comprising a plurality of floor sections, an elevator shaft and means for guiding said sections the em, means for coupling selected sections to constitute a unit, a cable including a portion suspended in the shaft and terminating in a harness applicable to the unit, and supporting means for centering the suspended portion and harness over the unit.

a. An elevator comprising a plurality of floor sections, an elevator shaft and means for guiding said sections therein, means for coupling selected sections to compose a unit, a cable having a harness applicable to the unit, movable means carrying a sheave from which the cable is suspended in said shaft, and means to move said movable means in accordance with the selection of the sections thus to center the suspended cable and harness over unit.

5. An elevator comprising a plurality of floor sections, means for selectively coupling the sections to compose a unit, a shaft in which the elevator is movable, a cable by which it is moved having a harness applicable to the unit, a wheel mounted on the top of the shaft having a sheave from which the cable is suspended, and means to turn the wheel thus to center the suspension of the cable over the unit.

6. An elevator comprising a plurality of floor sections, a shaft traversible by the elevator, means for coupling selected sections to compose an elevator unit, and rails disposed in the shaft to guide plural portions of the unit regardless of which sections are coupled to compose it.

'7. An elevator comprising a plurality of floor sections, a shaft traversible by the elevator, means for coupling selected sections to compose an elevator unit, and rails along the corners and the center of the shaft for guiding the unit regardless of which sections are coupled to compose it.

8. An elevator comprising a shaft, a wheel, a sectional floor situated in the shaft and means for coupling the door sections in pairs to compose a unit, guide means in the shaft with which all of the floor sections have guiding engagement both singly and when coupled in unit form, a hoisting cable depending from the substantial periphery of the wheel for moving said unit vertically. a harness carried by the cable and means for attaching the harness to said unit, and means on which the wheel is turnable to dispose the harness over said unit, said means supporting the wheel horizontally within the confines of the shaft.

9. An elevator comprising a shaft, a wheel, a sectional floor situated within the shaft and means for coupling certain floor sections in pairs to constitute a unit, guide means in the shaft with which all of the floor sections have guiding engagement both sin ly and when coupled in unit form, means for moving said unit vertically comprising a hoisting drum and a cable, a sheave at the substantial periphery of the wheel over which a portion of the cable trained, a harness carried by said portion of the cable havin means for its attachment with said unit. and means for supporting the wheel horizontally and turnably within the confines of the shaft to enable centering the harness over the unit.

WILLIAM HASTINGS. 

